Iran’s footballers caved under pressure from Tehran as they sang their national anthem before kick-off against Wales on Friday after refusing to do so in their World Cup opener against England earlier this week. The country is currently in a state of political turmoil following the death of Mahsa Amini, who was killed under suspicious circumstances after she was arrested for a breach of the Islamic dress code in September.
Amini’s death has sparked nationwide protests in Iran and their footballers took a stand before their match against England by refusing to sing their anthem, which was heavily booed and whistled by their own supporters in the stands. They appeared to back down before their crucial Group B meeting with Wales on Friday, though, by opting to mumble along with the words as some Iran fans wept inside the stadium.
It has been suggested that Iran’s decision to avoid a repeat of their silence during the anthem may have been influenced by the threat of being punished by the country’s regime upon their eventual return, with political dissent considered a crime that can be met with the death penalty. Iranian officials had already been discussing a crackdown on any perceived disrespect to their national anthem ahead of the World Cup, which may have effectively forced their footballers into singing prior to kick-off against Wales after choosing not to before their opening defeat to England.
#BREAKING: Iran national team players choose not to sing national anthem at World Cup match; some of the Iranian crowed booing their own national anthem pic.twitter.com/RYPvgHMNUi
— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) November 21, 2022
The fans at #FIFAWorldCup in #Qatar are very upset that the players on Team Melli sang the Islamic Republic’s anthem today. #Iran pic.twitter.com/yR921qAhMf
— Jason Brodsky (@JasonMBrodsky) November 25, 2022
Some Iran fans in Qatar have already made their feelings clear by showing their support for the protesters in their home nation, with several flags in the stands carrying the words: “Women, Life, Freedom.” A handful of supporters were seen crying during the pre-match anthems before Friday’s game against Wales, with emotions clearly running high among those in attendance at the Ahmed Bin Ali Stadium.
There were also protests in the arena prior to kick-off, with loud boos and whistles ringing out as the Iranian anthem was played, while some fans were instructed to remove banners by Qatari security officials. Iran’s regime has taken a brutal stance against protesters and dissenters in the country in the months since Amini’s death, with over 400 people having reportedly been killed over the course of the uprising thus far.
Several match-going Iran supporters in Qatar have already voiced their belief that the national team should not be playing while civilians are being killed back home, with 24-year-old fan Elmira telling The Sun: “I have mixed feelings. I love football but with all these children, women and men killed in Iran, I think the national team should not play. It is not Iran’s team, it is the Islamic Republic’s team.
Source » express